Nonskid fruit tree ladder



J. HOHING ET AL 1,866,974

NONSKID FRUIT TREE LADDER Filed Nov. l. 1930 J Hazing. L a Vin/ 0' .550

OZM

Patented July 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRED J. HOHING, OI ALDEN, AND JAMES LIVINGSTON, OF ACME, MICHIGAN NONSKID FRUIT TREE LADDER Application filed November 1, 1930. Serial N0. 492,796.

This invention relates to fruit tree ladders.

An object of the invention is to provide a light, strong and durable ladder wh ch will be particularly adapted for use by fruit pickers working in orchards which are on hillsides, or other uneven grounds, where precarious positions are to be encountered for setting up ladders.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide a ladder of the stepladder type in which the props or hinged legs are secured to the ladder by a universal joint which permits of the legs being swiveled as well as spread apart laterally so that one of the legs may be placed on lower ground than the other leg. For instance, one of the legs may be placed in a hollow while the opposite leg may be placed on a hillock, such as are often encountered on hilly grounds, both legs coacting in adequately supporting the ladder against collapse or skidding.

A still further object is to provide a nonskid side hill fruit tree ladder which will be formed of a few simple, strong parts that will be easy to manufacture and will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ladder constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a detail cross sectional view of the ladder showing the hinges and swivel connection of the legs with the ladder, and

as Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view parts forconnecting the larparts in the various views, a ladder is 50 shown, comprising parallel side rails 10 and steps 11. In the present embodiment of the invention, the side rails are supported upon a transverse bar 12 which also forms the lowermost step of the ladder and which extends at the ends considerably beyond the side rails. i

A pair of inclined side rails 13 are bolted at the upper ends, as shown at 14, to the side rails 10 at substantially the centers of the ladder and are also bolted to the ends of the bar 12, as shown at 15. The inclined side rails 13 project below the bar 12 and, by virtue of being inclined, present a considerable space between them. The side rails 13 are spread apart suificiently to present widely separated points of contact with the ground for supporting the ladder against tipping over sideways.

By now referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that a pair of angle iron brackets 16 are bolted, as shown at 17, to the upper ends of the parallel side rails 10. A transverse head member 18 connects the brackets and is bolted to the'latter, as shown at 19. This head member may be used as a support for fruit pickers apparatus, or may be used as a top step when necessary. The brackets 16 are extended considerably beyond the rear edges of the parallel side rails of the ladder for hingedly securing the rear legsor props of the ladder, as will presently be described.

The props or rear legs'20 of the ladder are each preferably of sutficient length to extend in length from the brackets tosubstan tially the bottom ends of the inclined side rails 13 of the ladder. The upper ends of the legs are received inthe channel of a channel iron bridge plate 21 and are pivoted to the flanges 22 of the plate by means of pivot pins 23 passed through the flanges and the legs. The legs may thus be spread apart to any desired angular position. A hinge plate 24 is pro- 1 vided with substantially triangular upturned end flanges 25 which extend upwardly along the inner sides of the angle iron brackets 16 and are pivoted to the latter preferably by means of a pintle 26 passed through suitable alined openings in the brackets and in i the flanges and bent over at the ends, as

shown at 27, outside of the brackets to permanently secure the pintle in place.

The hinge plate 24 is swivelly secured to the bridge plate 21 by means of a bolt 28, best shown in Fig. 2, passedthrough vertically alined openings in the bridge plate and in the hinge plate.

It will thus be seen that the rear legs 20; are hinged to the ladder by means of the hinge plate 24 and may be rocked toward and away from the side rails of the ladder to any desired extent. It will also be evident that by swiveling the bridge plate 21 on the hinge i bolt 28, the legs are twisted around the swivel bolt 28 as an axis so that the lower ends of the legs may be spaced at different distances from the lower ends of the inclined side rails 13 of the ladder to conform to inequalities in the surface of the ground. The legs 20, as above stated. may also be spread at the lower ends laterally from each other on the pivot bolts 23 to permit of the ladder being securely set up on uneven grounds.

8i. It will thus be seen that the brackets, the hinge plate and the bridge plate, as Well as the hinge pintle, swivel bolt, and pivot bolts, all coact in producing a universal joint or connection between the legs or props and the 491 side rails of the ladder. That is, the legs may be rocked toward or away from the side rails on the hinge pintle 26, or may be swiveled about substantially a vertical axis on the swivel bolt 28, or may be rocked outwardly or '45, inwardly on the pivot bolts 23. As a result of this construction, the legs may be manipulated. so as to conform to unevenness in the ground, in some instances one leg being placed in a hollow. while the other leg is placed on 50, a hillock such as are to be found in side hill orchards. The legs are thus capable of being positioned to rigidly support the ladder against collapse or skidding, regardless of the unevenness of the ground upon which the 66, ladder must be set up.

Having thus described the invention, we claim: I

A hillside ladder comprising side rails, a head member connecting the side rails, steps 60 connecting the side rails, a pair of angle iron brackets carried by said head member, a hinge plate having upturned flanges overlapping said angle iron brackets, a hinge pintle passed through said flanges and said brack- 66 ets, a channel iron bridge plate, rear legs received in the channel of said bridge plate, pivots passed through the upper ends of said legs and said bridge plate to permit of said legs being swung laterally apart, and a swivel bolt passed through said bridge plate and through said hinge plate and swivelly connecting said legs to said hinge plate whereby said legs may be twisted around said swivel bolt as an axis and disposed at various angular positions with respect to each other and to the side rails to rigidly support the ladder against collapse or skidding on uneven ground.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

FRED J. HOHING. [L. s] JAMES LIVINGSTON. [L. 5.] 

